Boards

Like Cathy Come Home, Hillsborough, Threads etc - this is something you don't really get in the multi-channelled age - don't you think this is a shame - imagine something like Theads being shown and half the school population spending the next 6 months in mortal silent fear of a nuclear attack - not really water cooler moments but 'makes you think' telly - you don't really get that with Lost etc now do you?

Barry Hines who wrote Kes and the Price of Coal wrote it and we had to watch it at school after the wall came down (safety of hindsight) and its pretty horrific especially when the bomb goes off in Birmingham and everyone runs around and one woman just stands there transfixed looking up and the camera pans to to her leg where you can see her urinating in pre fear. It's not Coupling let's put it that way. Hillsborough was horrible as well I recall.

You ever seen Firefly? I thought it was great, considering that it is at the end of the day, sci-fi - and written by the Buffy guy.

My mate pretty much had to convince me for a straight year to actually sit down and watch an episode.

But, aside from that, what the hell is wrong with our TV?

Where they have 24, we have Spooks.

Where they have Deadwood, we have many, many ITV dramas all starring Sarah Lancashire or Robson Green.

Where they have The Shield, we're lumbered with Silent Witness or some other shit where forensic scientists do the jobs actual police would be doing in real life.

It's pathetic. And worse, these British shows can be as pretty as they like but the writing is ALWAYS of such universally bad quality, that it's a struggle to even care enough about a character to know what their name is.

Go on, try - name a character from a TV drama you watched over the last few years. I can't.

similar to all great sitcoms came from the Comedy Playhouse eg, Steptoe & Son, Til Death Us Do Part - perhaps this is what's needed again - a sort of workshop for aspirant writers who didn't necessarily go to Oxford but wants to write

bill nighie dies outside parliament, and doctor who's dad getting beaten up by the bastard with the dog on the council estate, and his cousin listening to my favourite cousin whilst playing with the gun, and so many other unforgettable bits.